President calls for expedited resettlement of displaced families in Kandy

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to fast-track resettlement efforts for families in the Kandy District displaced by the Cyclone Ditwah.

President Dissanayake reviewed the progress of the process to release the required lands at the Divisional Secretariat level and emphasized the need to promptly complete the relevant actions while resolving the issues that have arisen, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while attending the Kandy Special District Coordinating Committee meeting held at the Kandy District Secretariat this afternoon (12).

During the meeting, the President conducted an extensive review of measures taken to restore normalcy and rebuild infrastructure in the Kandy District following Cyclone Ditwah.

President Dissanayake also separately assessed progress on compensation payments for partially damaged houses through Divisional Secretaries.

It was noted that 12,169 houses in the district had suffered partial damage due to the disaster. Among them, 1,583 houses are in high-risk areas requiring relocation, 2,304 cases have payment-related issues, and 3,795 houses are pending inspection or reports from the National Building Research Institute (NBRI).

Accordingly, compensation payments can currently be processed for 4,488 houses, of which payments have already been completed for 3,038 houses. The President instructed officials to ensure that payments for the remaining eligible houses are finalised without delay.

Discussions were also held on identifying land for families who must be relocated due to high-risk conditions, along with challenges faced in this process. The President stressed that preventing habitation in high-risk zones is a State responsibility and that relevant decisions must be implemented without delay, according to the PMD.

Special attention was also given to providing assistance for estate workers requiring relocation who are living on private estates. The attendees further discussed the expedited release of State-owned lands currently occupied by private companies for proposed resettlement purposes.

The provision of infrastructure for resettlement housing projects (other than individual housing units) was also discussed, along with measures to construct protective retaining structures in front of partially damaged houses that are not eligible for compensation payments. Attention was further drawn to compensation for business losses and fluctuations in construction material prices. The President stated that a solution to the issue of price volatility is expected to be presented within the coming week.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha, Governor of the Central Province Professor Sarath Abeykoon, Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni, Deputy Ministers of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena party and opposition members of parliament including Thanura Dissanayake, Jagath Manuwarna, E.M. Basnayake, Riyaz Farooq, the Mayor of Kandy, the Chief Secretary of the Central Province and other public representatives. Also present were the Commissioner General of Essential Services and Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawatta, heads of relevant departments and government officials, and representatives of the security forces.